Embodiments of the present specification relate to monitoring a hydraulic fluid filter and, more particularly, to a control system and a method for monitoring a filter in an underwater (for example subsea) hydrocarbon well facility.
In offshore hydrocarbon well control systems, the main equipment of a typical system configuration includes: a master control station, which provides the operator interface with subsea equipment and displays the current state of various subsurface equipment, subsea valves and sensor information enabling the operator to control the system; an umbilical cable, which connects the master control station to the equipment installed on the seabed and incorporates a communication link which carries control signals to the subsurface equipment and transfers information on the status of the subsurface equipment to the master control station; a subsea control module, which receives commands from the master control station and controls subsea processes, provides the hydraulic power to actuate valves and transmits status data on subsea equipment and sensor data to the master control station; a subsea electronics module, housed within the subsea control module and which typically is a microprocessor based electronics unit that houses a set of printed circuit boards, the functions of which include communication with the master control station (receiving control information from, and transmitting sensor data to, the master control station), interfacing with subsurface sensors and controlling valves and hydraulics; and a tree installed on the seabed, to which is fitted the subsurface electric and hydraulic equipment needed to control the flow of fluids from or to the well together with a sensor pack, to determine the state of the tree equipment, well head components and fluid flowing from or to the well.
Hydraulic fluid is supplied to a subsea control module in a redundant manner in order to provide power for operating the hydraulic valves located on subsea trees and manifolds. In order to remove particulate matter from the fluid, the fluid is passed through filters. Pressure transducers are normally located downstream of the filters for monitoring the incoming pressure of the fluid, and then selector valves allow the operator to select which of the redundant supplies is used for valve operation. The selected fluid is then used as a common supply for operations within the subsea control module, and a pressure transducer is used to monitor this supply pressure.
With this configuration of transducers and filters, there is no method to monitor the health (contamination levels) and hence life of the filters. If there is no method for assessing the contamination of such filters when a subsea control module is deployed and the subsea control module is operated until problems are experienced, if the filters become blocked, this could result in discontinuity in operations of the hydrocarbon well, and cause lack of hydrocarbon production for a period of time until the module can be recovered and a replacement installed.